Click on the links below to read more details about each resource or service.
The NHS GP Health Service is a confidential NHS service for GPs and GP trainees in England.
The GP Health Service can help with issues relating to a mental health concern, stress or depression, or an addiction problem, in particular where these might affect work. GPH is not a service for individuals with mental health problems which require specialist psychiatric input though we can help provide additional support where we can.
GPH is provided by health professionals who have additional expertise in addressing the issues concerning doctors. These clinicians are available in various locations across England.
Tel: 0300 0303 300 – 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm
Saturdays.
gphealth.nhs.uk
gp.health@nhs.net
Professional organisations supporting and informing General Practitioners. LMCs are local representative committees of NHS GPs and represent their interests in their localities to the NHS health authorities. LMCs interact and work with – and through – the General Practitioners Committee as well as other branch of practice committees and local specialist medical committees.
www.bma.org.uk/about-us/how-we-work/local-representation/local-medical-committees
BOB LMC website for local information
The RMBF was set up by doctors to help colleagues and their dependants in need. Support available ranges from specialist information and advice to financial assistance. Improving working lives for doctors, offering confidential advice.
Tel: 0208 540 9194
www.rmbf.org
rmbf.org/health-and-wellbeing/
This is a confidential, nationwide, non-stop advice and counselling service for doctors and medical students. Provides help for doctors in difficulty, especially in relation to mental health problems and misuse of alcohol and/or drugs. The unit provides a signposting service to the area of help relevant to the individual doctors.
Helpline Tel: 0330 123 1245
www.bma.org.uk/advice/work-life-support/your-wellbeing
www.bma.org.uk/advice/work-life-support/your-wellbeing/counselling-and-peer-support
The BMA Charities are two registered charities which can help all doctors (not just members) in times of need.
Members with queries Tel: 020 7383 6142
info.bmacharities@bma.org.uk
Now hosted by the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund
Tel: 0208 540 9194
Website: www.rmbf.org
The British International Doctors' Association (BIDA) was established in the United Kingdom with the sole objective of promoting equality and fairness for all doctors and dentists working in the UK. BIDA's mission is to achieve equal treatment of all doctors and dentists based on their competence and merit irrespective of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, country of origin or school of graduation.
Tel: 0161 456 7828
Website: www.bidaonline.co.uk
(complete online contact form)
This charity supports doctors and their families in times of poverty, hardship and distress.
Tel: 0207 388 0796
Email: info@cameronfund.org.uk
Website: www.cameronfund.org.uk
This network aims to provide support, reduce stigma and campaign for better services for doctors with a range of mental health problems. "As doctors we are used to supporting patients' health and wellbeing, but we often neglect our own. Doctors have among the highest rate of mental health problems of any profession, but often feel isolated and unsupported."
Email: info@dsn.ork.uk or complete
online
form confidentially.
Website: www.dsn.org.uk
The Practitioner Health Programme (PHP) is a confidential, NHS treatment service for doctors and dentists who are unable to access confidential care through mainstream NHS routes due to the nature of their role and/or health condition. PHP is a free confidential service for doctors and dentists who have mental and/or physical health concerns and/or addiction problems and who live in the London area. There is provision for referrals outside London.
Tel: 020 3049 4505
Website: www.php.nhs.uk
"The service is available free of charge to senior medical students at Oxford University, and doctors and dentists in training in Oxford PGMDE posts or programmes. Doctors or dentists not in Oxford PGMDE training posts or programmes at any stage in their career have access to the same PSU services – standard fees apply."
Tel: 01865 785570
https://www.oxforddeanerypsu.org.uk
Local IAPT provider. Likely to have a good awareness of local mental health resources. Is a partnership between Oxford health NHS Foundation Trust, PML and Oxfordshire MIND.
Tel: 01865 901222
https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/talkingspaceplus
Contains an electronic searchable directory of local mental health resources available
Tel: 01865 247788
https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/
Contains a directory of locally available practitioners.
I have had one or 2 patients who have found a computerised approach to learning CBT helpful - so probably should not be dismissed. Also note reported success of, for example, Sleepio.
https://llttf.com/ (Living life to the full)
https://www.bighealth.com/sleepio Sleepio - CBT approach to insomnia, developed locally. Evidence base presented on website.
Website run by Dr Deen Mirza, a London GP, who has taken a specific interest in developing GP well-being, including running time management courses (including having been attended and recommended by a local appraiser). Has also written a few books, including one available free to download on registering entitled "Five Secrets for GP Career Success: how to survive and thrive in general practice"
Scottish website and there is some focus on local resources, but does offer self-help literature on a variety of issues including anger, anxiety, assertiveness, bereavement, depression, insomnia, obsessions and compulsions, panic, post-traumatic stress, shyness and social phobia.
https://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk
Another Scottish-based website, but again a useful source of self-help literature, including covering anxiety, anger, low mood, health anxiety, trouble sleeping, stress, panic attacks, and self esteem.
Currently 59 podcasts to download and listen to, covering a wide range of areas related to “Feel Better Live More” – on website hosted by Dr Ranjan Chatterjee. Listened to and recommended by a local appraisee, both from a professional and personal perspective. Includes plenty about diet, sleep, exercise etc, and how they relate to well being. The website also links to his book “The Stress Solution – 4 steps to reset your Body, Mind, Relationship and Purpose”
https://drchatterjee.com/blog/category/podcast/
Regular courses run by Medical Protection Society. Worth bearing in mind
that the
defence organisations can provide help and support as appropriate,
including
with respect to management of complaints etc, and the associated stress.
The BMA have also run resilience workshops.
https://educationatmps.com/course/search?categoryid=1&country=UK&keyword=avoiding+burnout
The BMA has, for several years, been running retirement seminars up and down the country (including Oxfordshire) – much of the focus has been on pensions and financial planning, but the scope also goes beyond this, including looking at the impact on the individual and his/her family. None are listed currently on the website below, but would anticipate more will be organised in due course
'Overcoming' series (Robinson Press, London), titles include:
'Overcoming common problems' series (Sheldon Press), titles include:
Manage your Mind: G. Butler and A. Hope (1995) Oxford University Press,
Oxford.
This is an area in which it might be useful if we shared our own
experiences of
what we have found useful. So “Manage your Mind” (above) covers various
areas of
mental health/psychological well-being. I found it well
written/practical, and
often recommended it to patients, and likewise wouldn’t hesitate to
recommend it
to a fellow professional to read if appropriate.
“Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker
This is an excellent book, though not necessarily a self-help book (for
which
Colin Espie’s book may be more suitable). It may be useful to recommend
as part
of general lifestyle advice as to why finding time to sleep may be seen
as an
investment rather than “lost time” – may appeal to a scientific brain.
Autobiographies written by authors who have declared specific issues, including mental health conditions, when I have thought they might be of interest and help to that individual depending on who they are. For example, “Coming back to me: The autobiography of Marcus Trescothick” is about a well-known and respected England cricketer who suffered with depression – so perhaps good for the sporty male who doesn’t want to recognise/admit that he may have depression.